A recent report called ‘The Future of Ireland’, conducted over April and May of this year, stated that one in ten Irish people have no close friends. When you first hear this, you think, of course I have close friends; there are people from work, school friends and neighbours. But when it really comes down to it, GirlCrew wouldn’t have struck such a chord with so many women if this were true.

According to the study – “The interesting thing is that the share of adults with four or more close friends rises with age, from 42% of 16-24s to 57% of over 55s. People who are retired are more likely to have four or more close friends than any other group in society. Women are only marginally more likely than men to have four or more close friends.”

The report was conducted online and surveyed a thousand people to find out what a community means to them. Belonging was the biggest theme that stuck out and in this report; it broke down what that really means, neighbours, friendships, community and volunteering.

I can see these aspects on the GirlCrew pages on a daily basis. When the mini marathon happened recently, girls from around the country were donating to each other’s charities, giving words of encouragement or meeting up in person to cheer each other on over the finish line. The sense of community, neighbour like friendships that pop up over and over again (how many of us have popped in for a cup of tea to our actual neighbours? Only 36%, but how many GirlCrewers have met up at a coffee shop recently? Hey over 40s group! )

GirlCrew really is changing the face of friendships because it’s so accessible. It’s getting easier to start a conversation now and that’s what this report was all about, “to continue the conversation about our future; about how we can build flourishing communities that together will meet the needs, hopes and ambitions of all the people of Ireland.”

Making friends can be hard; it can be tough to know where to start with gathering a few new buddies. If you’re finding yourself in this position, GirlCrew is just the thing for you. This community is for women aged 25+ and is the perfect place to find that new running partner, a brunch club, or even a group to go out dancing with. Find the group closest to you here.